Dead Sea Ultra Marathon

The Dead Sea Marathon is a popular race attracting runners from over 50 countries.The main objectives of Dead Sea Ultra Marathon are to promote athleticism, particularly among youth; to encourage tourism to Jordan; and to promote athletic cooperation across countries of the Middle East and the world. Promoting healthy lifestyles among all members of society, and a spirit of volunteerism are other key objectives of Dead Sea Ultra Marathon.It continues to contribute to all such noble initiatives.

The event is held under the direct patronage of the Jordan’s Prince Raad Bin Zeid, in an effort to generate funds and/or show support for all such organizations.The marathon has received tremendous recognition on both national and international platforms in past several years. At its core, a thorough physical sport, the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon is the epitome of human endurance and resistance to the maximum level.

The runners are made to start the race from peaks and high lands of Amman, and are then supposed to run down to the earth’s lowest point, that is The Dead Sea (situated in the southern Jordan desert). If we were to look at the exact figures, the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon starts from a point which is 900 m above the sea level, and its main event involves a 50 km stretch, taking the runners 400 m below the sea level. This means a total descent of around 1300 meters!The race is normally divided into different events – a Half Marathon, a Standard Marathon and An Ultra marathon.

Apart from these, there are also races for the visually impaired and people on wheel chairs. Nevertheless, it’s entirely up to the organizers which all races must be included in the event.On the other hand, it is up to the runners whether they wish to participate in the marathon at the individual level, or in the form of teams of four people. Everyone passes through tarmac roads devoid of any shade or protection from the sun.